LONG BEACH — Our City of Long Beach Unit and city officials held a hurricane relief concert for those affected by the recent hurricanes in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.
Unit members raised more than $16,000 through donations and the sale of t-shirts, bottled water and snacks the day of the concert.
The money raised will be donated to the AFSCME Fallen Heroes Fund and Florida Keys Strong Hurricane Relief, which is under the umbrella of the Sister Season Fund.
The AFSCME Fallen Heroes Fund assists AFSCME members affected by natural disasters and other major events. The Florida Keys Strong Hurricane Relief and Sister Season Fund are Key West, Fla.-based nonprofit organizations that help those in need.
For unit members, the most recent weather events harken back to their own experiences during Hurricane Sandy.
Rosemarie Alton and City of Long Beach
Unit President John Mooney take a
minute to enjoy the unseasonably warm
weather at the relief concert.
“We are proud to partner with the city to help other communities that are going through what we went through with Sandy,” said CSEA City of Long Beach Unit President John Mooney. “We know exactly how hard it is to rebuild after a disaster, and our natural instinct is to help those in need just as others did for us five years ago — paying it forward the CSEA way.”
“I’m a lifelong resident of Long Beach and I was devastated by Sandy,” said Sarah Nicholas. “I lost my house, so I know exactly how the current victims of hurricanes feel. Volunteering my time seemed like the least I could do to help.”
For others, volunteering for the relief concert is a way of honoring the people who helped Long Beach during its recovery.
“People came from near and far to help and support us during our relief efforts from Sandy,” said City of Long Beach Unit member Norman Wilson. “Everyone who worked during our relief efforts really came together. It just shows the resiliency and the camaraderie that we have, even in the midst of ruin.”
“It felt right to give back a little of what we were given in our way, the CSEA way,” said Wilson
— Wendi Bowie
Maureen Walsh, right, shows relief concert attendees one of the t-shirts the unit was
selling to raise money.
